Adjustable holdback.



1 W. J. THOMAS.

' ADJUSTABLE HOLDBAOK. APPLICATION rum) nov. 5, mos.

Patented May 4, 1909.

WILLIAM J. THOMAS, OF INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA.

AD JUSTABLE HOLDB ACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1909.

Application filed. November 5, 1908. Serial No. 461,238.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM J. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at lngle Wood, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Adjustable l-loldback, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to in'iprovements in adjustable hold backs.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of adjustable hold backs, more especially that shown and described in Patent No. 798,308, granted to me Aug. 29, 1905, and to arrange the ring, which is connected to the hold back exteriorly of the thill, so as not to encircle the same.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide. an adjustable hold back of increased strength and durability, adapted to be easily and cheaply manufactured and applied to a shaft or thill, and capable of facilitating a rapid, accurate and instantaneous adjustment of the hold back strap to enable the same to lit the various sizes of animals hitched to a vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable hold back, adapted in the event of breakage of the swingletree or a similar accident, to automatically disconnect the hold back straps from the thills.

The invention also has for its object to facilitate unhitching by enabling an animal, after the traces have been unhitched, to step from a vehicle without dragging the same after it.

l Vith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing :Figure 1 is a perspective view of an adjustable hold back, constructed in accordance with this invention and shown applied to a portion of a shaft. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same, the hold back strap and the connecting ring being swung forward in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all he figures of the drawing.

The adjustable hold back comprises in its construction a relatively fixed guide plate 1, consisting of a flat strip of metal provided with reduced tapered ends 2, which are secured by screws, or other suitable fastening devices to the inner side of a shaft or thill 3. The longitudinal guide plate is also secured at intervals to the shaft or thill by means of screws 4L, or other suitable fastening devices, and it is bent outward adjacent to each end at 5, spacing disks or washers 6 being interposed bctween the off-set portions and the shaft or thill, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The intermediate off-set or spaced portion receives a slide 7, constructed of sheet metal, or other suitable material and having its side edges bent inwardly to form approximately L-shaped flanges 8, which embrace the side edges of the guide bar, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing. The slide, which is adjustable along theguido bar, is readily removed therefrom at either end thereof, the inwardly extending side flanges 8 being located beyond the plane of the disks or washers 6 and the fastening means for securing the guide bar to the shaft or thill.

The slide, which is adjustable backwardly and forwardly to arrange a hold back strap 9 in proper position to suit the size of the animal hitched to the vehicle, is provided with a vertical eye 10, formed by bending the rear end of the slide back upon itself, and the terminal portions 11 of the metal are secured by rivets, or other suitable means to the slide to provide a structure of the requisite strength. The eye receives a swinging half ring or D 12, which constitutes a coupling member for connecting the hold back strap with the adjustable slide 7.

The longitudinal guide is provided at intervals with longitudinal slots 13, and the slide is equipped with a catch consisting of a flat s ring 14, secured at its front end 15 to the s ide by rivets, or other suitable fastening means and rovided at its rear end with.

a longitudinal ug 16, extending through a 1 slot 17 of the slide and arranged to engage the slots 13 of the guide 1. The thill is also provided at intervals with tapered recesses 1, located adjacent to the slots and adapted to receive the projecting end of the lug.

slir e.

The lug 16 projects into the slots 13 and enthe rear end walls thereo'l', whereby the slide is securely held in its adjustment against backward movement. fhe lug 16, which is approximately triangular, is beveled at the frontand is provid d with a rear shoulder, and front end Walls 1.8 of the slots are beveled to permit the lug to readily disengage itself i'roni the slots 13, when the sli l l drawn forward. lhe catch is also equip Witl an outwardly extending finger or thumb piece 19, appro iiately L-shaped, and ex tending outwardly and rearvvardly to a point slightly beyond the vertical eye ol' the This brings the operating portion oi ition to be 1 the catch in convenient po l engaged by thumb, whereby the slice may be instantly adjusted to change the position of the hold ba wi l o th halt. Qhe L-shaped i er 5 preferably 'l'ornied int end of the Si ring l enr I 1% is tapered, the particrler cent oi the parts ena .11 ch stroiger spring than that shown in the said patent to be employed thereby I materially ixcrea 1 the strength oi the ustabh hold as, 1:.4" i

llle llllgeh ll is adapted Without c and l nib e ed in dotted lines a struln on it will 'l'orwsrdly along the "ill not interfere Wirh adjustment oil 0 lide the guide, and it is only neoess :ry o manipulate the catch and withdraw the from engagement with the guide, when guide.

to adjust t 1e hold baclr .reerth: shaft or thill. thus fi ly described my invention, new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1.. An i 1 us aole hold back of the class described i; cleiding a longitudinal guide, a slide provided at ooposite sides with embracing the side edges of the guide, a catch mounted on the slide and engaging the guide to lock the slide against baclnvard movement and arranged to permit a tree forward movement of the slide, and a swinging coupling nieinoer hinged to the slide and lying entirely beyond the inner side of the shaft or thill.

2. An adjustable hold back of the class described including a longitudinal guide, bent at its ends to space its intermediate guiding portion from a shaft or thill, a slide provided opposite sides with flanges embracing the side edges of the guide, a catch mounted on the slide and engaging the guide to loci: the slide against backward movement and arranged to -oermit a tree forward movement of the slide, and a swinging coupling member hinged to the slide and lying beyond the inner side of the shaft or tliill.

3. An adjustable hold back of the class de scribed including a longitudinal guide, a slide arranged on the guide and embracing the side edges th reoi,'a ling ring or member 1 l 1, l v I in ed {,0 too SliCiG and ing wholly beyond the s. it or thill and a catch car'ie d by the slide and arranged to engage the guide and havlng an t ope sting :OltlOil GFtQIlCllHf-Q partially through the swinging coupling member or rl i l. adjustable hold bacl: of the class described including a guide rovided at intervals with longitudinal slots, a slide mounted on the guide and provided with an eye, a catch consisting of a spring secur d to the slide and provided with a lug extending through the slide and arranged to engage the slots of the guide and having an exterior operating member 'ecting outwardly and rearwardly and to; urinating at the said eye,

l coupling member or ii 9' extending 3 slide nio"nted on the guide, coupling member or iii-rig hin ed to the slide, and a catch including a s n; i; secured at its front end to the slide, and a lug secured to the rear end of the spring and proiecting thro h the slide and arranged to engage the guide bar and provided with. an GX- terior operating e arranged to extend through con; 1 ho; or ring.

in teeth rony, i the foregoing as my own, have heretos l xed my signature in the nresenee 0 two Witnesses.

iLLLllil J. THSli irir llIlILLER, Nonins. 

